Posted on Apr 2, 2015
Do Retirees Really “Deserve” Access to AAFES Stores More Than Non-Retirees?
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* Please vote in the survey here *
Note: I am a RallyPoint member (served in USAF for 5 years) and wish to remain anonymous, because I need to be 100% honest that I feel the DoD is discriminating against non-retirees like me. Please tell if I am right or wrong here.
While I was serving in the USAF (5 years active), I enjoyed shopping at AAFES locations and online as well. It saved me a lot of money and the deals always seemed good. Now that I am a civilian, and did not hit retirement before I got out, and am not rated 100%, I can’t shop at AAFES anymore. I think that’s flat out wrong. I put in my time as much as anyone.
I know there are going to be RallyPoint members who respond with, “You only did 6 years, and you knew AAFES rules full well.” Well, here is what I say to that.
I did a 7-month tour in Iraq at FOB Taji. Easily left the wire more than 10 times. I hurt my shoulder due to wearing my kit a lot (30% rated). I did as much as most retirees, including retired grunts. I deserve AAFES access as much as any retiree. I respect that retirees served a little bit longer, but I did 7 months in Iraq.
Am I justified in thinking I should get full AAFES access?
Please vote in the survey below. Thank you.
Note: I am a RallyPoint member (served in USAF for 5 years) and wish to remain anonymous, because I need to be 100% honest that I feel the DoD is discriminating against non-retirees like me. Please tell if I am right or wrong here.
While I was serving in the USAF (5 years active), I enjoyed shopping at AAFES locations and online as well. It saved me a lot of money and the deals always seemed good. Now that I am a civilian, and did not hit retirement before I got out, and am not rated 100%, I can’t shop at AAFES anymore. I think that’s flat out wrong. I put in my time as much as anyone.
I know there are going to be RallyPoint members who respond with, “You only did 6 years, and you knew AAFES rules full well.” Well, here is what I say to that.
I did a 7-month tour in Iraq at FOB Taji. Easily left the wire more than 10 times. I hurt my shoulder due to wearing my kit a lot (30% rated). I did as much as most retirees, including retired grunts. I deserve AAFES access as much as any retiree. I respect that retirees served a little bit longer, but I did 7 months in Iraq.
Am I justified in thinking I should get full AAFES access?
Please vote in the survey below. Thank you.
Posted in these groups: 
Benefits
Benefits
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 625
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No, not really. Because even though the retirees already did their time in service doesn't meat they did anything any different than those who still serve
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You "did as much as most retirees, including retired grunts." NO, you did not. While your service is definitively admirable, you did NOT serve 20+ years like we retirees did. You did ONE rotation to Iraq for a whopping 7 months. Yes, it's admirable but thousands of retirees did two or three or four or even more tours in Iraq/Afghanistan. No, you definitely do NOT deserve AAFES access as you did NOT put in the required (yes, that's right REQUIRED) time in order to draw that specific benefit.
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Eh, though I dont mind if they get access to AAFES, I do think perhaps you really need to check your sense of entitlement...
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I left on my first combat deployment with a whopping 3 1/2 months in the Navy. When I got back I still had less than a year total service but had already deployed. Your 1 deployment in 5 years is NOTHING.
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SSgt Troy Allen
If drawndowns continue, you won't have AAFES benefits either. That's why honorably discharged veterans should be able to purchase at shopmyexchange.com. It only take 2 million out of the 5 million veterans to give the AAFES buying teams significant leverage.
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I think the anonymity shows that he or she knew how this would turn out.
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I did three years active duty in the Army. Of those 36 months I spent I spent something like 14 months with my wife. Yes I understand that the front end is heavy with basic and AIT but I also understand that you take away those two trainings....the Army has other trainings/field exercises to take their place. On top of that...there are deployments. They may not be a year long combat deployment to Baghdad that I got to participate in, but there is always a deployment to such places as Africa waiting for Soldiers. Anyways, what I am getting at that the deployments are only a small fraction of why I feel retirees deserve AAFES. Me personally, it is all the other BS things that retirees go through over a 20 plus year career that makes them deserving.
Now if your point was saying we all deserve the same retirement that would be different. I'm kidding!
Now if your point was saying we all deserve the same retirement that would be different. I'm kidding!
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